kimball



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-sheet 1.

H. AQKIMBALL. Apparatus for Grinding and Tampering Steel Strips. No. 237,754. Patented Feb. 15,1881.

N. PETERS,'PHOTOLITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D c.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Shet 8.

H. A. KIMBALL. Apparatus for Grinding and Tampering ,Steel Strips. No.- 237,754. Patented Feb. 15,1881.

I I Mme,

(No Model.) 4 4Sheets -Sheet-4.

H. AJKIMBALL.

Apparatus for Grinding and Tampering Steel Strips.

No. 237,754. Patented Feb. 15,1881.

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UNITED STATES PATENT rrrcie.

HIRAM A. KIMBALL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PA., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ARTHUR MILLER, OF SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR GRINDING AND TEMPERING STEEL STRIPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 237,754, dated February 15, 1881.

Application filed June 19, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HIRAM A. KIMBALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for 'Grinding, Polishing, and Tempering Steel Strips or Wire at one continuous operation, of which the following is a specification.

The invention, in the first place, consists of a polishing-trough through which the steel is caused to pass, in combination with the reels for holding the steel and giving a backward and forward movement thereto, the trough being constructed with its sides converging toward its bottom forinclining the grinding and polishing material toward each side of the steel, which assumes a zigzag position by means of blocks projecting alternately from each side beyond the vertical central plane of the trough, to give tension to the steel, and thereby cause it to bear with sufficient force upon the edges of the blocks as it is drawn between them for completing the polishing pro- 2 5 cess. Y

The invention, in the second place, consists of a double series of blow-pipes, arranged in successive pairs with the tips of each pair opposite each other, so that the steel, in passing 0 between them, shall have a blast on each side, whereby auniform heat shall be given to each side, which shall be continuous and even throughout the whole length of the steel.

The invention, in the third place, consists of 5 an atmospheric chill, in combination with the blow-pipes, for chilling the steel after it has passed the blow-pipes, as hereinafter fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, which make 0 a part of this specification, Figure l is a plan View of my apparatus for grinding, polishing, and tempering steel. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, the grinding and polishing trough and the reel B being left off for the 5 purpose of showing more clearly those parts of the apparatus that would be hidden if they were in position. Fig. 3, Sheet No. 2, is a plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the reels B and B and parts in connection therewith. Fig. 4,

Sheet No. 3, is a section, on an enlarged scale,

at the line a: a" of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the grinding and polishing trough J. Fig. 6 is a cross-section of the same, on an enlarged scale. Fig. 7 is a section through the blast-pipes M, on an enlarged scale, taken at the line 2 z of Fig. 1, showing a pair of blow-pipes, K, on an enlarged scale. Fig. 8 is a face view of the double balance-dog I, on an enlarged scale. Fig. 9 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of the atmosphericchill 0. Fig. 10 is a vertical longitudinal section through Fig.9.

Like letters of reference in all the figures in- 'dicate the same parts.

Arepreseuts the top of the table, with which 6 5 the various parts of the apparatus are connected.

B is a reel at one end of the table, on the vertical center pin, a, upon which the steel is wound preparatory to connecting its ends with the reels B B on the horizontal shafts O and 0. Then the free end of the strip is connected with one of the said twin reels, and the strip is wound thereon from the reel B, with the exception of a sufficientlength to connect with the other twin reel. Then said reel B becomes merely a carrying wheel or drum, the strip of steel only encircling part of its circumference. The reels B B are adapted to turn in opposite directions, so that while the steel is wound on one it is unwound on the other by means of the toothed pinion D on the shaft 0 being brought into connection with the toothed wheel D on the shaft 0, when the reel B is made the winding-reel and the reel B is allowed to be turned by the tension of the steel for unwinding, the pinion then being thrown out of gear with the toothed wheel D on the shaft 0 of the reel B but when the reel B is to be the winding-reel the reverse action is produced by the connection of the pinion D with the gear-wheel D The pinion-shaft G is connected at its inner end with the bearing 1) on the shifting-lever E for reversing the gearing. The outer end of the shaft is provided with a 5 nest ofpulleys, as represented in the drawings, for the connection of the driving-belt.

F is an automatic shifting-shaft for changing the steel backward and forward from end to end of the reels B and B ,it being provided with arms 0 c, which have projecting pins d (I, each of which has fingers d d, between which the steel passes freely as it is wound on one reel and unwound on the other. The backward and forward movement of the steel upon the reels is produced by means of the action ofthe toothed sector G on the rocking shaft F, the sector gearing into the toothed rack H, permanently connected with the under side of the shaft F, the shaft F being caused to turn alternately in reverse directions by means of the double balance-dog I, which is hung on the pin 0 on one end of the lever E, which is operated by means of the cam m of the shaft 0, the prongs ff being provided with teeth 9 g, which engage alternately with the teeth of the toothed wheel D. The alternate engagement of the dog at one side of the wheel and its disengagement with the other side, whereby the movements of the wheel D are reversed, is caused by the alternate bearing of the springs i and 2', respectively, of the rodjupon the opposite sides of the pin 0, which projects from one side of the balance-dog, thus changing the position of the weight k on the rod to the reverse side of the vertical plane central with the pin 0, on which the dog is hung so as to overbalance it. The rod h is made in the form represented for the purpose of faeiliting the adjustment of the weight 7., one end of the rod being connected with the arm 0 of the shifting-shaft F, and the fingers of the arm straddling the steel on the reel B and the fingers of the arm 0 on the other end straddling the steel 011 the reel 13. The reciprocating movement of the steel from end to end of the reels is automatically given by the longitudinal reciprocating movements of the rodj, as above described.

The double balance-dog I, arranged in relation to the pinion D and toothed sector G, is clearly seen in Fig. 8.

J is a trough, through which the steel is drawn for grinding and polishing it, there being a slot in each end for thatpurpose. The trough is situated at any convenient distance from the twin reel B The sides of the trough converge toward its bottom, so as to incline the grinding and polishing material toward the longitudinal central plane of the trough, and thus to bind with sufficient force upon the surfaces of the steel. The trough has a series of blocks, m, which project from one of its sides a little beyond the vertical longitudinal central plane of the trough, and like blocks m, which project in like manner from its other side, and a little on the opposite side of the central plane, the blocks at one side of the trough alternating with those of the other side. Between the edges of these two series ofblocks the steel is drawn and runs in a zigzag direction,.as seen in Fig. 1, caused by the arrangement of the edges of the blocks each side of the central plane of the trough, as above described. The object in giving the steel the zigzag direction is to give tension thereto, to cause it to press with sufficient force against the edges of the blocks for the grinding and polishing process. The edges of the blocks are faced with lead for the purpose of holding the emery or other grit.

If desired, there may be an additional grinding and polishing trough for the passage of the steel at any convenient distance from the reel B at the other side of the table.

There are blow-pipes K of sufficient number to heat the steel. Three pairs of them are shown in the drawings. They receive gas from the pipes L L L and an air-blast which is forced through the pipes M M M M, connected together by the corner-fittings N, a connection beingmade with a suitable force-pipe by means of the opening 0 in one of the tittings. The flow of gas is regulated to each-blow-pipe by means of a stop-coclt,p, and the blast of air is regulated by means ot'the stop-cocksp. The connection of the blow-pipes with the blastpipes and the gaspipes is represented clearly by the enlarged sectional view, Fig. 7, which is taken at the line 2 z of Fig. 1.

There is an atmospheric chill, 0, (shown in detail in Figs. 9 and 10,) which has a connection with the blast-pipe h and is provided with a stop-cock,p for regulating the blast. It has a mouth, q, through which the steel passes in its passage from the blow-pipes. The month is long, to prevent the steel passing through it too suddenly, so as to insure an even temper.

The operation is as follows: The steel being wound on eitherof the reels BB it is wound upon the other, so as to draw it through the grinding and polishing trough J until it is unwound from the holding-reel, and then the motion of the reels is reversed by means of the shifter above described, so as to return it to the reel from which it was drawn, and the reverse movement kept up back and forth until the steel is sufficiently ground and polished. But this operation must terminate when it is wound on the reel B. hen the grinding and polishing process is completed the trough or troughs must be removed out of the way of the steel. The blast being given to the pairs of blow-pipes K K, the steel is wound on the reel B drawing it through and between the nozzles of each pair, so as to be heated equally on each side, and bypassing through the several pairs of pipes it is gradually and evenly heated from end to end, and the degree of heat necessary for the tempering being regulated by the adjustment of the cooks p and p. The atmospheric chill is also opened to throw a blast of cold air upon the steel as it continuously passes through and from the blow-pipes. The blast is regulated by the stopcock p as described above.

As the above process is adapted to tempering steel or wire to various degrees of hardness to suit the different uses to which it may be applied, a particular degree of the heat and blast of the blow-pipes and of the chill O is not given, that being a matter easily determined, to suit the occasion, by any one skilled in the art of tempering steel.

I claim as my-invention 1. The combination of the shaft 0 having a pinion, D, with the reel-shafts (J and O, and the shifting-lever E, for reversing the motion of the reels B and B the shaft 0 being provided with one or more driving-pulleys, substantially as described.

2. The grinding and polishing troughJ,

having parallel sides convergent toward its bottom to incline the grinding and polishing material to the surfaces of the steel to facilitate the grinding and polishing process, substantially as set forth.

3. The grinding and polishing trough J, having blocks m and m, alternately arranged from its parallel sides, the inner edges of the blocks projecting past the longitudinal central vertical plane of the trough, substantially as set forth.

HIRAM A. KIMBALL.

Witnesses:

THoMAs J. BEWLEY, STEPHEN UsTIoK. 

